Yahoo News 'Seriously injured' man rescued in Willington terraced house blast as neighbours evacuated
A man has been rescued and neighbours evacuated following an explosion which ripped through a terraced home.
Emergency services attended Coronation Terrace, in Willington, at around 1.28am on Monday. Drone pictures show the home's roof entirely blown off due to the force of the blast. Bricks can also be seen scattered in the front and back gardens with other debris strewn around as firefighters work at the scene.
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have confirmed a man was rescued and homes evacuated.
Chris Williams, group manager at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) said: “Our crews remain at the scene of an explosion in Willington, Crook. At 1.28am we received a call reporting an explosion at a residential property on Coronation Terrace in Willington. The first crew were at the scene within minutes, with crews deployed from Durham, Bishop Auckland and Crook, along with the Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) from Durham.
“Firefighters assisted in the rescue of one man, who was attended to at the scene by police officers and North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), before being taken to hospital. Nobody else has been reported to be injured. Some residents in the immediate vicinity were evacuated as a precaution.
“Our crews will remain in the area today (Monday) alongside colleagues from Durham Constabulary, Durham County Council and Northen Gas Networks to assess the site and ensure it is structurally safe. We know this will be concerning for local residents and if you live in the area please listen to the advice and instruction of the emergency services. An investigation will take place into the incident in due course.”
Durham Police said the man sustained "serious injuries" in the blast. They said: "A man sustained serious injuries during the incident and has been taken to hospital by paramedics for treatment. A cordon has been put in place around the property while emergency services work at the scene. Nearby residents have been evacuated as a precaution and people are advised to avoid the area."
Northern Gas Networks (NGN) have also confirmed their attendance and said they are supporting emergency services with their investigations. James Knox, business operations lead for NGN, said: “Our engineers are on site at the request of the emergency services, and are supporting them with their investigations.”
Anyone that smells gas or suspects carbon monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
